I picked up a few Mad River beers when I was at Finger Lake Beverages in Ithaca the other week. After I had their Steelhead Double India Pale Ale the other night, I wish I had bought more.

Like the DIPA, their Jamaica Red pours thick. The fluid fills the glass in wide swells of caramel coloured viscosity. A light floaming ring and froths counts as a head. On the nose there is faint cherry, fey floral (marigola with a freeisa?) and herbs along with yeasty maltiness. A bright but heavy scent. The texture is interesting, too. Not syrup but nonetheless heavy. Bitter weed hops sit high and back but are buffered by a layer of rich malt. Yet below that there is a third layer that rides along the swallow that is lighter and fresher, lifted perhaps by the carbonation. A cacophony of malt notes, banging into each other: pear, raisin, fig, storage apple, maybe date plus maybe brown sugar. Black tea and sultana in the finish.

Like it. Much BAer respect plus French kisses from the baldie boys.